Changing Your Style
August 31st 2006 08:51
This time I’m going to talk about making a major style change and the planning you can do in order to get a result you can be excited about; not devastated!!
The first thing to do is to choose a few styles you like. Magazines are a great source of inspiration. Specialist hair magazines are great for this, but they can be expensive, so if you buy a particular women’s magazine regularly, try looking through old issues of that first. In particular, look out for hair specials in women’s magazines which often have a lot of photos of different cuts and styles, sometimes with added tips (such as what kinds of cuts suit particular face shapes). You might even see a style you love in a film – if so, try to find a still from the film online which has a picture of the style. Bear in mind that the pictures and styles which inspire you might do so partly because you admire the way a particular celebrity or model looks. But their style might not work on you if your hair is a different texture and/or your face a different shape (not to mention that you might not have the luxury of a personal hairstylist at your beck and call). So try to choose a few alternatives you feel excited about at this stage.
1. Face Shape
Standing in front of a mirror holding your hair up as if it were short isn’t a very good indication of how a short style will actually look. Likewise with other styles. A great way to work out if a certain style will suit your face shape is to try on some wigs. If you go to a wig shop to do this, you should ask for assistance so you don’t damage any of the wigs. This should give you a good idea of what styles flatter your face shape (you might be surprised!). (Incidentally, this tactic can also be helpful before making a radical colour change.) You never know, you may even find a wig you’d like to buy for fun. Costume shops and costume hire places also often have wigs you can try. An alternative to trying on wigs is the old trick of using those cut out pictures of hairstyles behind which you can insert a passport sized photo of your own face. This can give you a rough idea of what works, but I haven’t found it particularly helpful, since the pictures often don’t sit well with one another, giving a false impression of how the style would look. If you feel you can be honest with yourself about your face shape (try drawing an outline in the mirror) then you might even just be able to tell from a picture which models or celebrities have a similar face shape. But you need to be honest here and not set yourself up for disappointment – the new cut won’t make you look like that person!! Try to narrow your style search down to about two or three at this stage.
2. Your Hair
Is your hair curly, wavy or dead straight? Is it thick, frizzy and course? Or is it fine, thin or fluffy? It might be a combination of the above. For example some people have course frizzy hair underneath and fine, fluffy hair on the top layers. What challenges do you face in styling your hair now, and how (logically) do you think losing some weight from the lengths of your hair will affect the way your hair sits?
3. Your Lifestyle
How much time do you realistically have each day to spend styling your hair? Do you tend to wash you hair and then leave it to dry, or do you enjoy blow-drying and styling your hair? Do you swim and/or work out regularly? Do you need to wear a helmet for cycling, motor cycling, horse riding, etc. on a regular basis, or a hat because you work outdoors? The answers to these questions should give an idea of the degree of maintenance you are looking for in a style.
With respect to (b) and (c), you should discuss these issues with a hairdresser you trust in the consultation which precedes your cut. Actually, the above represent some of the questions a good stylist will probably ask of you during the consultation.
1. Choosing a Hairdresser
If you have a hairdresser you’ve been going to for a while and trust, stick with them (unless you don’t like what they’ve been doing with your hair – more on that another time). Your regular hairdresser knows your hair and will be able to help guide you through a major style change. They may even suggest some stages you can go through to move towards your desired style if you don’t have the length, your hair isn’t in good enough condition, or you are scared to go very short in one go. If you don’t have a regular hairdresser, ask around to get a recommendation or look for local recommendations online! If you are going to a new stylist at the same time as making a drastic change, such as going from long to short, it probably is worth paying for a style director or art director, who is more experienced at creating new styles and working with different kinds of hair.
2. Consultation
Make the most of your pre-cut consultation. Don’t rush it and make sure you cover the questions discussed above. Show your hairdresser a photo of the style you would like, but have a back-up plan in case your hairdresser thinks the style you’ve chosen simply won’t work on your hair (perhaps because it’s the wrong texture (too thin, too curly) or because you have awkward ‘cow-licks’ on your hairline, etc.). If this happens, don’t be too stubborn or downcast about it, but discuss an alternative with your hairdresser. They may even show you some more pictures to make sure that both of you have the same thing in mind before they start cutting. Because this consultation will take longer than one for a standard trim, it might be worth mentioning when you make your appointment that you are making a big style change and would like to discuss it first. If you give the salon the heads up they are likely to take more time with you.
3. During the Cut
This is not the time to sit back and get caught up in a magazine or a conversation with your hairdresser. Keep a watchful eye on what they are doing just in case they have really misunderstood what you wanted. A particular risk with short styles is that if they cut too much off in a certain place or all over, you will have to wait some time for the hair to grow before it can be fixed. Of course, with your hair wet, it’s not always easy to see what they are doing. If things do wrong, get your hairdresser to fix it. A friend with slightly wavy hair once went for a Meg Ryan style shag cut and came out with hair roughly half an inch long all over. Because she had taken a photo of what she wanted to the salon and her stylist had said she could do that, the salon gave my friend free cuts until her hair had grown out enough to achieve the style she’d initially asked for. Still, nobody wants to be put in that position, so stay alert.
4. Blow-dry
This is one time when it is definitely worth paying a little extra to get you hair blow-dried and styled. Watch closely what your hairdresser does and ask them about the appliances and products they are using. That should give an idea of how to style your new cut so that you can make the most of it!
You will probably need to use different products for your new style. Ask your hairdresser’s advice on this one but don’t splash out on the most expensive brand until you have experimented a little yourself as you may find that certain products build up too much over time or don’t last through the day. This might also be a great excuse to splash out on some new hair accessories; cute sparkly clips, scarves, headbands – whatever works.
Inspiration
The first thing to do is to choose a few styles you like. Magazines are a great source of inspiration. Specialist hair magazines are great for this, but they can be expensive, so if you buy a particular women’s magazine regularly, try looking through old issues of that first. In particular, look out for hair specials in women’s magazines which often have a lot of photos of different cuts and styles, sometimes with added tips (such as what kinds of cuts suit particular face shapes). You might even see a style you love in a film – if so, try to find a still from the film online which has a picture of the style. Bear in mind that the pictures and styles which inspire you might do so partly because you admire the way a particular celebrity or model looks. But their style might not work on you if your hair is a different texture and/or your face a different shape (not to mention that you might not have the luxury of a personal hairstylist at your beck and call). So try to choose a few alternatives you feel excited about at this stage.
Choosing a style
1. Face Shape
Standing in front of a mirror holding your hair up as if it were short isn’t a very good indication of how a short style will actually look. Likewise with other styles. A great way to work out if a certain style will suit your face shape is to try on some wigs. If you go to a wig shop to do this, you should ask for assistance so you don’t damage any of the wigs. This should give you a good idea of what styles flatter your face shape (you might be surprised!). (Incidentally, this tactic can also be helpful before making a radical colour change.) You never know, you may even find a wig you’d like to buy for fun. Costume shops and costume hire places also often have wigs you can try. An alternative to trying on wigs is the old trick of using those cut out pictures of hairstyles behind which you can insert a passport sized photo of your own face. This can give you a rough idea of what works, but I haven’t found it particularly helpful, since the pictures often don’t sit well with one another, giving a false impression of how the style would look. If you feel you can be honest with yourself about your face shape (try drawing an outline in the mirror) then you might even just be able to tell from a picture which models or celebrities have a similar face shape. But you need to be honest here and not set yourself up for disappointment – the new cut won’t make you look like that person!! Try to narrow your style search down to about two or three at this stage.
2. Your Hair
Is your hair curly, wavy or dead straight? Is it thick, frizzy and course? Or is it fine, thin or fluffy? It might be a combination of the above. For example some people have course frizzy hair underneath and fine, fluffy hair on the top layers. What challenges do you face in styling your hair now, and how (logically) do you think losing some weight from the lengths of your hair will affect the way your hair sits?
3. Your Lifestyle
How much time do you realistically have each day to spend styling your hair? Do you tend to wash you hair and then leave it to dry, or do you enjoy blow-drying and styling your hair? Do you swim and/or work out regularly? Do you need to wear a helmet for cycling, motor cycling, horse riding, etc. on a regular basis, or a hat because you work outdoors? The answers to these questions should give an idea of the degree of maintenance you are looking for in a style.
With respect to (b) and (c), you should discuss these issues with a hairdresser you trust in the consultation which precedes your cut. Actually, the above represent some of the questions a good stylist will probably ask of you during the consultation.
Going to the Hairdresser’s
1. Choosing a Hairdresser
If you have a hairdresser you’ve been going to for a while and trust, stick with them (unless you don’t like what they’ve been doing with your hair – more on that another time). Your regular hairdresser knows your hair and will be able to help guide you through a major style change. They may even suggest some stages you can go through to move towards your desired style if you don’t have the length, your hair isn’t in good enough condition, or you are scared to go very short in one go. If you don’t have a regular hairdresser, ask around to get a recommendation or look for local recommendations online! If you are going to a new stylist at the same time as making a drastic change, such as going from long to short, it probably is worth paying for a style director or art director, who is more experienced at creating new styles and working with different kinds of hair.
2. Consultation
Make the most of your pre-cut consultation. Don’t rush it and make sure you cover the questions discussed above. Show your hairdresser a photo of the style you would like, but have a back-up plan in case your hairdresser thinks the style you’ve chosen simply won’t work on your hair (perhaps because it’s the wrong texture (too thin, too curly) or because you have awkward ‘cow-licks’ on your hairline, etc.). If this happens, don’t be too stubborn or downcast about it, but discuss an alternative with your hairdresser. They may even show you some more pictures to make sure that both of you have the same thing in mind before they start cutting. Because this consultation will take longer than one for a standard trim, it might be worth mentioning when you make your appointment that you are making a big style change and would like to discuss it first. If you give the salon the heads up they are likely to take more time with you.
3. During the Cut
This is not the time to sit back and get caught up in a magazine or a conversation with your hairdresser. Keep a watchful eye on what they are doing just in case they have really misunderstood what you wanted. A particular risk with short styles is that if they cut too much off in a certain place or all over, you will have to wait some time for the hair to grow before it can be fixed. Of course, with your hair wet, it’s not always easy to see what they are doing. If things do wrong, get your hairdresser to fix it. A friend with slightly wavy hair once went for a Meg Ryan style shag cut and came out with hair roughly half an inch long all over. Because she had taken a photo of what she wanted to the salon and her stylist had said she could do that, the salon gave my friend free cuts until her hair had grown out enough to achieve the style she’d initially asked for. Still, nobody wants to be put in that position, so stay alert.
4. Blow-dry
This is one time when it is definitely worth paying a little extra to get you hair blow-dried and styled. Watch closely what your hairdresser does and ask them about the appliances and products they are using. That should give an idea of how to style your new cut so that you can make the most of it!
Products and Styling
You will probably need to use different products for your new style. Ask your hairdresser’s advice on this one but don’t splash out on the most expensive brand until you have experimented a little yourself as you may find that certain products build up too much over time or don’t last through the day. This might also be a great excuse to splash out on some new hair accessories; cute sparkly clips, scarves, headbands – whatever works.
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